news-engine

MILLWALL were routed 5-1 by Southampton at St Mary’s. After a promising start that saw Mark Sykes open his Millwall account, it was entirely one-way traffic on the south coast, with Cyle Larin grabbing a brace, and Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows all getting on the scoresheet. The Lions were entirely outclassed for most of it, and their worrying lack of depth was exposed, with nine players now on the treatment table. As they had the Saturday before against Norwich, Millwall flew out of the blocks, swarming Saints in front of a packed-out away end. Tairyk Arconte had an early sight of goal, forcing Daniel Peretz to push his powerful effort wide, while Josh Coburn headed Mark Sykes’ cross wide at the back post. There was a mad scramble in the box after Kyrell Lisbie curled back in Jenson Metcalfe’s corner, then Camiel Neghli volleyed over the ensuing set-piece. The Lions got their deserved breakthrough in the fifteenth minute when Coburn’s cross for Arconte was cleared straight to Sykes, whose fierce strike deflected off Schlotterbeck and in. After going behind, Saints had a bit more joy on the ball. The dangerous Leo Scienza smashed one over the bar, then Ryan Manning hit the post after a short corner. It was not long before Southampton equalised. Cyle Larin escaped his marker, Jake Cooper, and nodded in Manning’s free kick. The game had fully opened up by this point, with the intensity fully ramped up and both teams looking to hit the other on the break whenever they turned it over. It was Saints who capitalised on the increased tempo. He stole in behind, drifted past Caleb Taylor and chipped the ball over Max Crocombe for Finn Azaz to tap into the empty net. It was all Southampton for the rest of the half, who put Millwall under real pressure as they pushed for a third. However, it was Millwall who should have scored before half-time. Two Saints defenders went up for the same ball and nodded it backwards for Arconte to run onto. He cut it across for Kyrell Lisbie, who was slightly off balance and hit the post from yards out. The Lions looked better to start the second half, but any positive momentum was derailed quickly. Finn Azaz threw himself onto the floor after Jake Cooper left a foot dangling and won Saints a penalty, which Leo Scienza smashed into the bottom corner. Saints had their fourth shortly afterwards when Larin flicked the ball over Taylor’s head and volleyed it into the bottom corner. It nearly got worse for Millwall. Cooper dawdled on the ball on the halfway line and let Larin steal the ball off him. The Canadian was through one-on-one, but Crocombe made a good save to keep him out. With the result already all but wrapped up, the pace slowly bled out of the game as both sides made changes to preserve legs. Saints had a few opportunities to extend their lead in transition, especially through substitutes Tom Fellows and Divin Mubama, before they eventually found their fifth to wrap up the rout. Cundle miskicked a clearance straight to Fellows, who smashed the ball through a sea of bodies and Crocombe’s legs before nestling in the back of the net. To make the afternoon even worse for the Lions, Cundle suffered a late foot injury. Millwall: 4-4-2 – Crocombe; Sykes, Taylor, Cooper, Sturge (Baggott 71); Lisbie (Cundle 61), Metcalfe (Lovelace 79), De Norre, Neghli; Arconte (Kelly 71), Coburn (Dykes 79) Unused substitutes: Coleman, Batth, Osei-Tutu, Massey Southampton: 4-2-3-1 – Peretz; Bree, Wood, Schlotterbeck (Stephens 84), Manning; Downes (Ward-Prowse 46), Bragg; Matsuki (Dobbin 80), Azaz, Scienza (Fellows 70); Larin (Mubama 70) Unused substitutes: Longb, Edozie, Akachuku, Welington Referee: Adam Herczeg Attendance: 29,167